By the time February rolls around, almost everyone is ready for winter to be over. Many people report lower levels of energy and can’t wait until the warmer months roll around to get some of it back. But if winter has you feeling sluggish, you don’t have to resign yourself to waiting around. Try these five health tips to boost your energy levels this winter season:
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Try to catch some sun.
If you work in an office, it’s entirely possible that during the winter months you leave the house before the sun has come up and come home after it has set. Your body needs sunlight to make Vitamin D, one of the most essential vitamins, which improves bone strength, blood pressure, and cholesterol, and fights diabetes, muscle weakness, and obesity. So, make it a point to leave the office on your lunch break and get some sun. If that’s not possible, then make sure to do some extended activities outside on the weekends to catch more of that much-needed sunlight.
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Increase your fruit and vegetable intake.
This works in a two ways: first, by replacing processed food with fresh fruits and vegetables, you will automatically have more energy, because processed food is known to make you feel tired (the infamous “food coma” phenomenon). Secondly, the larger quantity of fruits and vegetables will give your body the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and energized while fighting off the cold.
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Wash your hands more frequently.
When the body is trying to fight off infection, most of its resources are dedicated to that—it’s no wonder that the first stage of a cold is feeling tired and run down. If you decrease the likelihood that your body will have to fight off various infections, for example, by washing your hands more frequently, you can avoid that energy drain and feel more energized.
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Don’t give up on exercise.
Exercise, counterintuitively, gives you more energy. But during the winter months, it can be hard to get out of bed and force yourself to exercise. To make it easier for yourself to stick to an exercise regimen, bring the exercise to you. Having a workout machine in your home, or developing a routine of body-weight exercises you can do anywhere will make it more likely that you’ll stick to your workout plan.
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Get enough sleep (but don’t oversleep).
A lot of people can agree that the wintertime makes it considerably harder to get out of their warm bed and get on with their day. To feel your best this winter, make sure to get enough sleep (7 hours is a good number to shoot for). However, it’s equally important that you don’t give in to your urge to stay in bed and oversleep. Sleeping over 8 hours per day is likely to make you feel more sluggish than energized.
When the winter blues come calling this February, try these five tips to give your body the energy it needs to make it to spring.
